Have you been noticing a theme in my posts lately? Like the fact that I am completely fatigued most of the time?

All together now: "TALENA, GO TO BED!"

Yah, yah, I will, as soon as I get my day out in neat serif font.

Today I had lunch at Robin Berreth's house. I met Robin at the first Scrapbooking Day I attended at the Baptist Church here in town, and I see her occasionally at church. However, right from our first meeting I knew she was someone I wanted to get to know better. I actually had her in here for lunch sometime in early April-ish (the day I came down with strep throat, so I remember the day well, just not the exact date), but have barely seen her since, mostly due to the fact that we have only made it to that church one time since then, I think.

We both love scrapbooking, stamping (she's actually a Stampin' Up! consultant), cooking, and she is a country girl like me. Her two boys are both only slightly older than mine, and she has a third baby due in early July. When she had lunch here I gave her a copy of The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin--she called me the next day to tell me she had already read three chapters!

Today, when I went out to their farm, she showed me the milk cow they bought last night, as well as filled me in on their plans to raise meat birds this summer in a portable chicken coop so they can be truly grass-fed birds! In other words, she's converted. (Muwhahahaha! *evil cackling continues under my breath*) Bonus for me: I think she's going to let me buy some of the chickens after they butcher. I can fill up my freezer and be good for most of the winter, I think. That's really great, because I had found a source for organic beef, but not chickens.

Anyone wondering what the heck I'm on about really needs to check out The Maker's Diet and Weston A. Price Foundation links in my sidebar. It is the only diet I've ever seen that actually makes sense to me. Our family switched when I was at the end of my first trimester with Jabin, and we have been healthier, in general, than ever before. When we do get sick, it passes quickly. A nice perk for me: my body (not my baby) LOST weight while I was pregnant! I am now down to my high-school skinny size! I'm not saying this to brag, just to tell you--this diet really works. I wasn't dieting to lose weight, just to feel and be healthier, and to give my baby the best start possible. The weight loss was a nice side-bonus.

So, now I have joined Jordan Rubin on his mission to change the health of North America. (He doesn't know that, though. Maybe I should send him a postcard or something! :-) Seriously, I could probably become an affiliate somehow, just haven't checked it out in detail.) That is why I post all kinds of wacky recipes and health information on my blog. In case you were wondering.

The one part of the diet I really need to work on still: getting to sleep before midnight. Apparently (and I've heard it from more than just this book) every minute of sleep before midnight counts like 4 afterwards. So if I got to bed at 11 p.m. every night, it would be like getting an extra 4 hours sleep! I've also heard that your body heals itself best while you sleep between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 or 3 a.m., and people who regularly stay awake during those hours (i.e. people who work the night shift, or who blog at crazy hours of the morning) develop all kinds of health problems. A phrase that runs through my head almost daily is "Sleep: The Essential Non-Nutrient", which is the title of the chapter on this subject in Dr. Rubin's book.

I'm working on it--sometimes I do better than others. Tonight is obviously hooped. But I'm going to bed RIGHT NOW! So GOODNIGHT! already.

Cover reveal: The Waterboy (A Rise of the Grigori Story)
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I'm thrilled to share with you the cover of my novella, the prequel to my upcoming young adult science fantasy series Rise of the Grigori. In this short eBook, meet Zale, a young boy with a big secret. About the story:
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Zale Teague grew up thinking he was an ordinary boy… until the day he called lightning from the skies and caused an explosion with horrific results. Now, at only eleven, he is on the run to protect his loved ones from disaster. But can he ever outrun the demon within?
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The book will be available for free exclusively to newsletter subscribers on March 27. Want to make sure you get it? Sign up at www.talenawinters.com/contact (or through the link in my profile).
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I can't wait to share it with you!
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Cover credit: The amazing @fionajaydemedia.
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#thewaterboy #writers #writerslife #author #writersofig #theundinestear #bookstagram #amwriting #amreading #fantasybooks #historicalfantasy #shifter #youngadultbooks #mermaids #sphinxes #dragons #angels #grigori #fantasyadventure

My new Graceful Slippers pattern has gotten a lot of great feedback already. Super easy to do, this is a wonderful project to make while visiting or watching a show, and ends tied in a pretty little bow. :-)
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I love carrying a pair of these around in my purse to combat cold floor syndrome while out visiting.
Get the knitting pattern at
www.talenawinters.com/graceful-slippers.
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What's your favourite slipper pattern?
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#gracefulslippers #knitstagram #amknitting #knittersofig #knittersofinstagram #knitweardesign #mysecretwishbytalena #mswbtprojects

I read Divergent at Christmas time, and enjoyed it SO much. Great writing, nearly-flawless editing, an uplifting, tension-filled story... there's so much to love (if you can suspend disbelief a little more than usual, which I was willing to do because everything else was so great). I've had "Insurgent" sitting on my TBR pile ever since, but life has been a whirlwind with getting my own projects into their next stages of life. However, as of this weekend, I'll have a couple of major deadlines behind me. I think it's time for a break. An Insurgent break.
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Have you read any of this series? What did you think?
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#imstillayoungadult #divergent #veronicaroth #writerscommunity #writerslife #writersofig #bookstagram #amwriting #amreading #bookish #reading #igreads

Great news! The Undine's Tear is now available for ARC readers. That means you get to read it for free in exchange for an honest review. If you are looking for a thrilling, magical read this weekend, go sign up:
http://eepurl.com/dDlUbr
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About the book:
Calandra is the most powerful undine healer in three thousand years—her people's last hope for salvation. In order to save them from the humans they fear, she must choose between enslaving the man she loves or trusting a cryptic, seditious message left behind by the mother who abandoned her as a baby. But if she can't find the brother she's never met, she doesn't have a hope in Tartarus—and all the powerful healers go mad eventually. Can she save everyone before she goes crazy and kills them all?
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More at www.talenawinters.com/undines-tear
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Happy reading!
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#freebook #arccopy #writers #writerslife #author #writersofig #theundinestear #bookstagram #amwriting #amreading #fantasybooks #historicalfantasy #shifter #youngadultbooks #mermaids #sphinxes #dragons #angels #grigori #watchers #demons

Who knew that such a shapeless blob could be so flattering on the feet? The newly re-edited Graceful Slippers, now available in worsted and bulky weights, is now in the store. Looking for a fast project for the weekend? Check it out. :-)
www.talenawinters.com/graceful-slippers
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#gracefulslippers #knittingpattern #knitstagram #amknitting #knittersofig #knittersofinstagram #knitweardesign #mysecretwishbytalena #mswbtprojects

This week is already off to a busy but pretty wonderful start. I got to spend time with some good friends yesterday, and later, my sweet but forgetful grandmother (who is recovering from a bad fall last week). Then I got to work on another friend's manuscript and coach her on her writing, which is always rewarding and fun. I love teaching and editing.
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Today, I should finish the first draft of The Waterboy, the prequel short story (ha! More like novella!) I'm writing for The Undine's Tear. Speaking of which, by the end of the week, The Undine's Tear will be going out to ARC readers. Want to read it for free? Sign up for my ARC newsletter at www.talenawinters.com/undines-tear. (Link at the top of the page.)
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Happy Monday, friends! What's new with you?
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#writers #writerslife #author #writersofig #theundinestear #bookstagram #amwriting #amreading #fantasybooks #historicalfantasy #shifter #youngadultbooks #mermaids #sphinxes #dragons #angels #grigori #amediting #editing #freelanceeditor

The view from my desk chair this morning. Yes, my office windows suck, but they get pretty frost patterns on them.
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By the end of today, I should be 3/4 of the way through the short story prequel to The Undine's Tear that I'm writing. Pretty excited about that. Any day writing fiction in a warm room is better than, well, just about anything else I can think of. And by the end of next week, I might even have a cover reveal for you. (Yes, I got a cover made for an exclusive-to-my-newsletter-subscribers short story. I love them that much.)
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What are you up to today?
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#writers #writerslife #author #writersofig #theundinestear #thewaterboy #bookstagram #amwriting #amreading #fantasybooks #historicalfantasy #shifter #youngadultbooks #mermaids #sphinxes #dragons #angels #grigori